coronation
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of coronation
1350–1400; Middle English coronacio ( u ) n < Anglo-French coronation < Latin coronāt ( us ) crowned ( see coronate) + Middle French -ion- -ion
Explanation
A coronation is the ceremony when a new King (or Queen, let's not be sexist) is officially installed. A coronation is usually quite glitzy and full of pomp. A coronation is the public handing over of title and powers to a new monarch. Other almost identical terms are enthronement and investiture. The term coronation is also sometimes used in a light-hearted, though sometimes sarcastic way, to describe the ascension of famous non-royal people who have achieved a particular level of public status — such as pop stars, politicians or celebrities. Coronation is derived from the Latin word corona, meaning "crown."
Vocabulary lists containing coronation
25 Words from "Baseball and Black History"
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Queen of the Sea
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"The Prince and the Pauper," Vocabulary from the drama
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But his swift "coronation" as Labour leader has raised questions on how he will achieve his aims.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
Some scholars have suggested that though their faces do not look upward, they are bearing witness to Mary’s coronation and thus engaging with colonial religious views.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Fahnbulleh has been drawing up policy plans for a Burnham government ahead of his expected coronation as Labour leader and prime minister.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
Plans to loan it to London had been considered twice before: in 1953 for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and in 1966 for the 900th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
“Let us now proceed to the coronation of King Frank of Narnia and Helen his Queen.”
From "The Magician's Nephew" by C. S. Lewis
Also known as Cambodia's royal ballet, classical dance performances were originally mounted for court occasions such as coronations or marriages.
From Barron's ● Dec. 31, 2025
His “Credo” for chorus and orchestra, which capped the program proper on Thursday, recalls both Handel’s “Zadok the Priest,” the anthem traditionally associated with British coronations, and edgy mid-20th-century European modernism.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2025
The UK Parliament prepared a detailed briefing on the history and protocol of coronations and it's quite fascinating.
From Salon ● Dec. 16, 2024
“We don’t do coronations in America,” she has said often in South Carolina.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 21, 2024
In some fair evening, on your elbow laid, You dream of triumphs in the rural shade; In pensive thought recall the fancy'd scene, See coronations rise on every green.
From The Romance of Biography (Vol 2 of 2) or Memoirs of Women Loved and Celebrated by Poets, from the Days of the Troubadours to the Present Age. 3rd ed. 2 Vols. by Jameson, Mrs. (Anna)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
